How Pacwest Builders combines award-winning design, expert craftsmanship, and sustainable innovation to create Oregon’s finest luxury homes
Located in Bend, Oregon, Pacwest Builders (Pacwest) has earned a reputation for transforming extraordinary visions into luxury homes. From custom mountain modern retreats to timeless rustic lodge residences and sophisticated remodels, the company is recognized across the market for its blend of design innovation, expert construction, and seamless project management. Across each of its projects, Pacwest’s integrated approach ensures that every project stays on schedule, on budget, and true to its clients’ visions – from concept to completion.
When Modern Home Builders last spoke with Pacwest’s Owner, Jim Yozamp, back in 2024, we took a deep dive into the business’ history, growth, and core operational philosophies. Now, two years later, we’re joined by Spencer Williams, Architect and Owner, and Tye Farnsworth, General Manager and Owner, to discuss how Pacwest has progressed and to find out more about some of its exciting ongoing projects.
“We’ve just finished two multi-year projects that we were working on, both of which were large-scale, family-retreat-type projects with multiple buildings on vast acreages,” Tye begins. “The builds definitely provided big logistical challenges, but we’re very proud to have executed them well, particularly as they were larger and more complicated than our typical projects.”
“Right now, we have a cool project going in Brasada Ranch,” adds Spencer. “It’s a mountain modern home, which is quite unique in that area. The development opened a new section that encourages a mixture of mountain modern and traditional ranch homes, which allowed us to incorporate lots of modern elements such as clean lines, long low-slope roof planes, and more glass with exposed steel on the interior and exterior. It’s been fun to work on.
“We are also working on a unique project next to a home that we designed and built years ago,” Spencer continues. “The home’s current owners aren’t the original owners, but they purchased the lot next door and wanted to add a detached duplex straddling the lots. In this particular home, the owners want to go as environmentally efficient as possible, using sustainable design and a lot of cutting-edge technologies that haven’t yet been used in our area. It has been interesting to work with them and figure out how we can create a tighter building envelope.”
Aligning expectations
In terms of design expertise and sustainability, these projects reflect the broader philosophy that guides every home that Pacwest creates. While some clients pursue the latest sustainable innovations, the company’s baseline approach has long prioritized energy efficiency, healthy materials, and thoughtful construction practices that go well beyond minimum requirements.
“We design and build things to be above code minimum in terms of energy efficiency, but we’ll often have clients who want to push that even further,” Spencer elaborates. “We often work with Earth Advantage – a local third-party certifier that comes in and tests our houses. The first project we certified required a few minor detailing tweaks, but everything we were doing as a standard already exceeded what they required for their program. We look at different types of air filtration and HVAC systems in the house, for example, as well as ensuring that we’re minimizing waste, starting with the design, and donating or recycling whatever we can to keep building material out of the landfill.”
For Pacwest, creating a high-performing home extends further than just energy efficiency. Every new project begins with understanding its surroundings and the people who will live there, with careful consideration given to the neighborhood’s character, the client’s vision, and the budget that will ultimately shape the outcome.
“When it comes to starting new projects, we always look around the neighborhood to analyze the surrounding homes; some neighborhoods are very eclectic wherein they just want quality design, whereas others look for a very specific aesthetic. Up front, we need to make sure that our clients’ design expectations align with the neighborhood they’re building in. We must also meet clients’ expectations in terms of budget. Some architecture is much more expensive than others, so we need to steer them in a direction to get them the style of home they want at the right price,” Spencer explains.
Putting clients first
As Pacwest continues to grow and evolve, its focus remains firmly rooted in the principles that have defined the company from the beginning: exceptional design, uncompromising craftsmanship, and a collaborative approach that puts clients first. By combining innovative building practices with a deep understanding of both place and purpose, the team is well-positioned to continue shaping some of Central Oregon’s most distinctive luxury homes for many more years to come.
“We want to make sure that we stay ahead of what people are looking for. It can be challenging as a custom design-build firm because, while we’re choosing clients, we’re always designing around their style and budget. We have to sell our clients on our vision and our ability to design new, cutting-edge homes, not just repeat what we’ve already designed,” Spencer emphasizes.
“We pride ourselves on being a team,” Tye affirms, concluding our conversation with optimism for the future. “We work together for our clients’ best interests, and we always stand behind our product. We strive to do right by our clients and end up friends by the end of the job. Clients have called us ten years down the road with an issue, and we’ve helped them fix it. We’ve been here for 25 years, and we plan on being here for another 25. We’re all about having honesty, integrity, and doing what’s right.”